There's Always Something to Learn

Hey Everyone,

So this week I had an assignment to go out and take pictures of a process related to my blog topic. Well, as my blog topic is about finding unique places in our world that are beautiful and scenic, Nichol's Arboretum looked like the perfect place. The best part about it was, I got to go looking for deer. There are a lot of animals in the Arboretum, but deer are the most elusive. I had found them there before but only on occasion and most of the time they will run immediately before you get a chance to take a picture. I was lucky enough this time to find them and they actually stayed in frame long enough for me to get few great pictures. The biggest thing I learned through my experiences this week was how to take a good picture and then put it in a place where everyone can see it.

I also met a few people at the Arb (Nichol's Arboretum) and I was able to interact with them and get a shot or two of them enjoying their time there. It was nice to see that people would rather run in nature and outside than on a treadmill. There are many workout clubs in Ann Arbor but I was always inclined to run outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. I was asked to learn and follow some Kodak Tips, which I mentioned in a previous post, and it really helped teach me the fundamentals of a good photograph. Lighting is very important and your flash can sometimes actually do more harm than good. I had taken a few photos of reflective surfaces and it turned out that these weren't working due to the automatic flash setting on my camera. When I turned it off, the pictures came out perfect.

I also learned that sometimes getting the right shot can put you in some interesting places. For some I had to get down into the dirt and for others I had to precariously stand over some water on a couple rocks. This taught me that sometimes the best way to show people the beauty around them, is to get a little dirty yourself. Some angles just cannot be gotten by simply standing far away and zooming in. You have to get up close and personal with the environment. Luckily, I enjoy this.

I had always known about the Arb and it's existence but I never really looked into it's historical significance or impact on the community until this past week. It's truly loved by everyone around it and it's a wonderful escape from the urban setting that is Ann Arbor. Normally, to go out into the woods and feel isolated you would have to drive numerous miles and try and find a place to park. Here, you can walk to the area, or ride a bike, and be lost in the wilderness in a matter of minutes. It's truly a beautiful place where relaxation, contemplation, and meditation are possible with little to no interruption from the outside world. Such a place, is hard to find nowadays and it really is a paradise on earth, and right around the corner.